UCSF is an institution of higher learning where tomorrow’s leaders in the life sciences, health care and health policy receive high-quality education and training. By recruiting the top faculty members, students, residents, and staff nationwide, UCSF — a community of the best and the brightest — sustains its reputation for excellence in education, discovery, and clinical care.

At UCSF, our learners approach health care challenges with critical thinking and a spirit of inquiry. As tomorrow's health and science leaders in training, UCSF students embody our passion for advancing the health of our communities.

Our learners train across the specialties in leading national accredited and non-accredited programs, across the specialties; graduates are enrolled in interdepartmental degree programs in basic and translational sciences, social and population sciences and clinical sciences.

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Become a TOP Observer

In the CFE, our vision is a culture of peer observation of teaching at UCSF through an accessible Teaching Observation Program (TOP).

To that end, we've created a low barrier process to become a TOP Observer through our in-person workshops and online training module.

For TOP Observers who successfully complete training

You can request a verification letter for your ADVANCE Educator's Portfolio or CV, with the option to send copies to your education leadership (e.g. department chair).

You have the option for inclusion in our UCSF TOP Observer program, which provides a list of observers to TOP participants who wish to be observed. Our goal is to provide a robust list of observers across departments and schools at UCSF and create a culture of peer feedback

Your contact information is protected from public view via MyAccess and only shared with confirmed participants.

Online Training Module

Developed by the Academy as an online method of training TOP Mentors, this module is accessible via the Collaborative Learning Environment (CLE) for UCSF and non-UCSF Faculty. The module benefits novices seeking to learn basic feedback skills and experienced mentors seeking to hone their skills or practice with a different teaching setting by using the principles of "blended learning."

Use the module in its entirety or adapt it to the needs of your department or division.

Live interactions require TOP Module Coaches, who are familiar with the training module and experienced in providing peer feedback. We recommend using this module to first train a group of mentors who can serve as Module Coaches for future TOP Mentors.

Key module features:

Videos - Covering four different teaching settings. Users can select any that are of interest or most resemble their teaching environment.